Montreal Jewry Proclaims Special Emergency Fund-raising Campaign for Israel

In an unprecedented action prompted by the emergency in Israel, the Allied Jewish Community Services executive committee today called upon the campaign organization of Combined Jewish Appeal for Allied Jewish Community Services and United Israel Appeal to proceed immediately with a Special Emergency Campaign for Israel as well as with the regular 1967 campaign for local, national and overseas needs.

A total goal for this single campaign which will serve two purposes was set tentatively at a minimum of $10,000,000. A resolution passed in emergency session by the executive committee emphasized the need for “unlimited gifts to the Emergency Campaign to be paid in cash, as well as contributions to the regular Annual campaign that will include normal increases,” It also called upon the Montreal Jewish community “to place a moratorium on all other fund raising campaigns while Israel is facing its present crisis.

Samuel Bronfman sent a telegram to Israel’s Premier Levi Eshkol conveying to him that “the Jewish community of Montreal at two remarkable demonstrations of deeply felt concern expressed unswerving solidarity with Israel in crisis” and that “scores of leading citizens of Montreal met with me to plan extraordinary financial campaign assistance to the people of Israel and that a national meeting was taking place today including all major communities for these purposes.”

The telegram concluded that “Mass demonstrations in Montreal of over 12,000 people and at meetings in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, large crowds pledged affinity with Israel hoping justice would prevail, international sanity be restored and Israel be allowed to address herself to acts of peaceful existence. Canadian Jewry stands firm.”